Selma

Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!

Today's review is Selma.

Directed by Ava DuVernay. 

Written by Paul Webb.

Review #264

MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic material including violence, a suggestive moment, and brief strong language.

Run Time: 128 min

Hulk Spoils Hollywood Podcast Page

Cast

David Oyelowo...Martin Luther King Jr.

Carmen Ejogo...Coretta Scott King

Oprah Winfrey...Annie Lee Cooper

Tom Wilkinson...President Lyndon B. Johnson

Giovanni Ribisi...Lee White

André Holland...Andrew Young

Ruben Santiago-Hudson...Bayard Rustin

Colman Domingo...Ralph Abernathy

Omar J. Dorsey...James Orange

Common...James Bevel

Lorraine Toussaint...Amelia Boynton

E. Roger Mitchell...Frederick Reese

Dylan Baker...J. Edgar Hoover

Niecy Nash...Richie Jean Jackson

Corey Reynolds...Rev. C.T. Vivian

Wendell Pierce...Rev. Hosea Williams

Stephan James...John Lewis

Trai Byers...James Forman

Stan Houston...Sheriff Jim Clark

Tim Roth...Gov. George Wallace

Nigel Thatch...Malcolm X

Stephen Root...Colonel Al Lingo

Lights....Camera....Popcorn's Quote/Quotes of the Film.

"We will not wait any longer! Give us the vote! We're not asking we're demanding! Give us the vote!"

 Dr. Martin Luther King played by David Oyelowo.

Movies about the great Martin Luther King have been made before Selma. So why did this one impact me so much? I'm not sure if I can point to an exact reason but several factors are very intriguing to me. It's that intrigue that gives this movie a power that I never expected it to wield.

Plot

A chronicle of Martin Luther King's campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.

Before I begin this review, I'm going to take a quick moment to express my PASSIONATE opinion about how this film got SCREWED out of some very worthy Academy Award recognition. By now you've all heard of the films and talent that have been nominated for an Oscar. As is always the case with this process there were some snubs and surprises.

It's very rare that the snubs and surprises are married to each other when one film is concerned. Sadly, Selma is one of those films. It was nominated for Best Picture and deservedly so. The surprise is the omission of Ava DuVernay for Best Director. The snub goes to David Oyelowo for his "non-mination" in the Best Actor category.

Putting it simply....This is a CRIME and a TRAVESTY!

I will be illustrating this in greater detail on my next episode of Hulk Spoils Hollywood when The Ranger and I will dive into all the nominees and the controversies surrounding the announcements.

I hope you all check it out.

Now that my shameless plug is finished. Let's get into Selma.

It seems appropriate to begin with the man the film is based on and the man that plays him. David Oyelowo brings something new to the table with his performance. The film chronicles a specific portion of King's fight for civil rights and equality but it does something far more stirring. In brief glimpses, Selma takes you behind the wizard's curtain to show you just how human this Superman truly was. The opening scene accomplishes so much by doing so little that you are immediately served notice that this will not just be a story about black suppression and redemption. Oyelowo's portrayal was a treat to watch. He commands your attention during the many speeches he gives but does more in the moments where the bravado is toned down.

This is captured brilliantly when King interacts with Corretta. The film takes you through the strategic moves King and his supporters (including Coretta) employ to make their point in Alabama and more importantly Washington. This is an expected part of the storytelling, what I wasn't expecting was the after effects King's movement would have on his home life. You know the saying, "Behind every great man is a great woman!" In Selma's case it's pure truth but not for the reasons you may think. Selma does a great job showcasing King's ability to lead and display his immense power and influence. Corretta isn't left on the sidelines here and her inclusion in some very key moments of the film do more to humanize the world's most famous activist.

The other relationship in the film that Oyelowo brings major gravitas is with President Lyndon Johnson played by the great Tom Wilkinson. At first their interactions are cordial and professional. Both men expressing a desire to achieve a common goal. It's only when both men see different ways of getting to said goal does this "partnership" become explosive. It's no secret that Dr. King was just as skilled in politics as he was peacemaking. Selma does a nice job of giving us the dynamic between the leader of the civil rights movement versus the leader of the free world. Oyelowo wasn't afraid to take the gloves off and go toe to toe with Wilkinson in some very choice moments after the violence escalates in Alabama.

This is nothing new when it comes to describing how powerful this man was. I'm just reacting to the incredible performance by a man who was able to take the entire scope of Dr. King and give us a fair and balanced view of his days in Selma. Oyelowo displayed a dignity in playing King that felt fresh. I'm sure some scenes that dug at the heart of some personal issues with his home life didn't hurt. That being said the performance was a driving force that was LUDICROUSLY ignored by the Academy.

This segues nicely into the second half of the dynamic duo of this film.

Ava DuVernay.

There's no way this film gets any of the heat it's gotten without the tremendous contributions of this director. For someone directing their first feature she hit a home run and makes a strong case for female directors. I'm not saying that she broke a barrier here. There have been plenty of great directors that have come before her. What gives DuVernay so much oomph was her ability to tell a powerful story filled with amazing characters and be able to balance the emotionally charging elements of racism and inequality and layer it with compelling side issues that give the audience a chance to digest what just happened.

DuVernay did a great job of building tension and calm amongst the anarchy of the times this film takes place in. The people of Selma would follow King into hell if it meant having the right to vote and DuVernay gets that across in simple moments that lead into or following moments of outrage. She doesn't dismiss the thought provoking debates the film gives you as you follow the characters journey across that bridge.

To not be recognized for her work by the Academy is unacceptable.

The simple fact is Selma is a great film that for some inexplicable reason was collateral damage in the wake of the bombs the Academy dropped on announcement day. Best Picture nomination is not enough and whether they choose to admit it or not, (we all know they won't) Selma deserved better. The best part about all of this is that it doesn't change how I feel about this film and I have every confidence in the world that you will enjoy this film when you see it too.

On the 5 star scale. Selma gets 4 stars with a "Worth Every Penny!" recommendation.

That's a wrap for today.

Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"

The Imitation Game

Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!

Today's review is The Imitation Game.

Directed by Morten Tyldum. 

Written by Graham Moore.

Based on the book - "Alan Turing: The Enigma" Written by Andrew Hodges.

Review #263

MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for some sexual references, mature thematic material and historical smoking.

Run Time: 114 min

Hulk Spoils Hollywood Podcast Page

Cast

Benedict Cumberbatch...Alan Turing

Keira Knightley...Joan Clarke

Matthew Goode...Hugh Alexander

Rory Kinnear...Detective Robert Nock

Allen Leech...John Cairncross

Matthew Beard...Peter Hilton

Charles Dance...Commander Denniston

Mark Strong...Stewart Menzies

Lights....Camera....Popcorn's Quote/Quotes of the Film.

Alan Turing: I like solving problems, Commander. And Enigma is the most difficult problem in the world.

Commander Denniston: Enigma isn't difficult, it's impossible. The Americans, the Russians, the French, the Germans, everyone thinks Enigma is unbreakable.

Alan Turing: Good. Let me try and we'll know for sure, won't we?

This was one of the few choice exchanges Bennedict Cumberbatch had with his fellow cast mates as the brilliant yet very complex Alan Turing. This film exposed Turing's unmatched intelligence while concealing something more important about him.

Plot

During World War II, mathematician Alan Turing tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.

The synopsis like most of the ones I put on this site are very basic and generic. For the most part it's intentional since I try to be spoiler free. However, in some cases the description barely scratches the surface of the film.

This is one of those times.

As expected The Imitation Game is centered around Alan Turing and his revolutionary invention and genius. However, the film dives into his private life which gives the film more substance and heart. Throughout the narrative Turing is very abrasive and opinionated towards every facet of life and the world around him. His dizzying intellect is polarizing to everyone but himself and it frustrates him to no end. This leads to the presentation of his character as an uppity insufferable know it all. He's very abrasive to watch early on and it can turn you off to his story.

Until....

His secret is exposed.

This is what The Imitation Game gets right from the beginning. Had this film been told from the paint by numbers chronology, we'd be talking about an entirely different movie. A more inferior film to be up front about it. The movie does what many others have done with similar characters and their stories and like the previous films it works here. Learning about Turing's childhood while he invents the code breaking computer "Christopher" gives the audience a nice change of pace from the formulaic breakdown films like this tend to employ.

A good performance doesn't hurt either and Benedict Cumberbatch provided that. Was it worth the Oscar nomination? That's up for debate. I for one don't think so. Just my opinion. I think Cumberbatch is a tremendous talent. I LOVE him in the Sherlock series and he's done some great work in other films. He makes Star Trek Into Darkness worth watching which is saying a LOT! I'm looking forward to seeing what he will do with Dr. Strange. He certainly has the chops and gravitas to play the role. The man is a great actor who's earned all the praise and heat he's getting right now.

That being said he wasn't alone here.

A leading actor is only as good as his supporting cast and the rest of Turing's team played off the enigmatic savant like a well oiled machine. Many will immediately point to Keira Knightley as the one who goes toe to toe with Cumberbatch. A fair point but I thought that Matthew Goode was more of a force against Cumberbatch. He's another good actor who has been in a lot of smaller pictures. His defiance to Turing's desire to build the computer gave the film an interesting power struggle. How do the teammates handle clashing ego's and opposite agendas in the face of an ongoing war where their task has a deadline on it every single day.

This was one of the most intriguing things I experienced watching this film. The fact that Turing and the other code breakers were not just bound by the limits of their intelligence but by the clock. Being able to manage the frustration of failing to break the Enigma machine in the allotted time which may have led to hundreds or thousands of soldiers deaths is not an easy pill to swallow. This gets compounded by the constant disagreement of attacking the Nazi's codes among the team members.

Once the mystery is finally solved The Imitation Game gives us the reward we were waiting for. It was a satisfying moment to watch as Turing figures it out at the most unexpected time from the most unexpected person. Whether this a ha moment actually happened or if it was Hollywood story telling is up for you to decide. I tend to believe the latter explanation. It doesn't change the fact that it was really fun to see the team achieve their goal. There is a moment to nitpick with this film after "Christopher" deciphers the codes. After all this euphoria the film pulls the rug from under you and hits you with a dose of reality which effects one of the team members in a profound way. At the outset it's handled very well dramatically then it gets swept away for more Turing drama. I would have preferred to stay with this dynamic a little longer. There were places to trim to give the moment I'm talking about more time.

It's too bad that it didn't happen.

Final tally is easy. The Imitation Game is a really good film filled with tense and intriguing drama involving a brilliant man who had so much left to offer this world if not for the barbaric minded times he lived in. Benedict Cumberbatch is superb and channels the tortured soul Turing was before, during and after the war. There was just a small disconnect between some story elements that would have made this a much more powerful film.

Which is saying a lot because this movie is pretty strong already.

On the 5 star scale. The Imitation Game gets 3.5 stars with a "Go See It!" recommendation.

That's a wrap for today.

Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"